Cigar-measure



(No-Model.)

J. C. FERNANDEZ.

GIGAR MEASURE. No. 470,999. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

@MM f #(m@ UNITED STATES ATENT Ormes.v

ClGAR-lVlEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,999, dated March 15, 1892.

' Application tiled September 30, 1891. Serial No. 407,260. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOS CRUZ FERNANDEZ, of Key Vest, in the county of Monroe and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Cigar-Measure, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in cigar-measures; and the object of my invention is to produce a simple, effective, and easily-operated device by means of which cigars may be accurately measured and which also is provided with a locking mechanism which prevents the measure from being tampered with.

To this end my invention consists in 'certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal sectionv of the same, taken through the slide-block. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the open lock; and Fig. 4

is a detail view of the thumbscrew, which may be used as a substitute for the lock.

The measure is provided with a fiat base 10, which has at one end a hinge 11, so that, if desired, it may be hinged to the Workmaus bench, and the front edge of the base is recessed longitudinally, as shown at 12, thus forming a shoulder 13 near one end of the base, and a iiange 14 projects from the opposite end of the base, the flange and the proj ecting end portion adjacent to the shoulder 13, forming supports for a toothed bar 15, which bar is arranged parallel with the base.

A block 16 is adapted to slide on the toothed bar, and in order that the block may slide freely the teeth on the bar are formed on the under side thereof. The block is provided with one beveled end 17, the bevel being on the upper side, and the block is provided on the under side with a longitudinal recess 18, which receives the bar 15, and the side walls of the recess serve as guides to enable the block to run smoothly on the bar.

The slide-block is provided with oppositelyarranged depending ears 19, and pivoted in the recess 1S and between the ears 19 on a pin 2O is a locking-lever 21, which has near its pivoted end and on the upper side a tooth 22, adapted to engage the teeth of the bar 15 and hold the slide-block in a fixed position. The'pivoted end of the lever 21 is enlarged, so that its lower portion will project beyond the bottom ofthe slide-block, and this portion is perforated transversely, as shown at 23, so as to receive the sleeve 24 of the lock 25.

I do not claim the lock per se as a part of my invention, as any locking device may be used to secure the lever in place; but I will describe the lock in order that its operation in connection with the measure may be understood.

The lock is provided with two similar side pieces 2G and 269, one of which has at its upper end a laterally-extending sleeve 24, which is fitted to project through a perforation in `one of the ears 19 and through the perforation 23 of the lever 21, and at the lower end of the slide-bar 26 is a sleeve 27, which is arranged parallel with the sleeve 24 and which is slotted longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 3, the sleeve 27 serving as a support for a series of hollow lettered disks 28, which are provided with keyways 29, as shown in Figs. 2 land 3. The opposite side piece 26 of the lock has at its upper end a laterally-extending spindle 30, adapted to enter the sleeve 24, and the lower end of the side piece carries a spindle 31, adapted to enter the sleeve 27 and having projecting bits 32, which are adapted to enter the keyways 29 of the lettered disks, and which are also adapted to enter the hollow portion of the disks.

To secure the lock, the spindles 30 and 31 are thrust into the sleeves 24 and 27 and the disks 28 are turned so that the keyways will not register with the bits 32, and consequently the two parts of the lock cannot be separated. To -unfasten the lock, the disks are turned so that the keyways 29 Will align, thus permitting the Withdrawal of the spindle 31, and this alignment is easily secured, as by arranging certain letters in a horizontal line the keyways will also register.

To apply the lock to the measure, the locking-lever 21 is raised into engagement with the toothed bar 15, the sleeve 24 is thrust through the ears 19 and through the locking- IOO ` xed jaw 40, having a base-flange 41 to rest lever, thus holding the lever up in locked position, and the spindles 30 and 3l are thrust into the lock-sleeves and secured therein in the manner described, and it will be seen that when in this position the slide-block 16 cannot be moved. It' desired, a thumb-screw 34 (shown in Fig. 4) may be used instead of the lock, in which case the thu mb'screw will project through the perforated lever and through the perforations in the ears 19, and in order that it may be quickly secured in place it is provided with a winged head 35, by means of which i t may be turned, and with a threaded portion 36, which may fit a threaded part of one of the ears 19. If desired, other forms of locks may be used. Near one corner of the the base lO is a hole l0, in which either the lock or thumb'screw 34 may be placed when not in use.

On the top of the base 10 and adjacent to the recess 12 is a measure 37, which is placed parallel with the front edge of the base, and if the base is of metal the gage-marks may be engraved thereon, and if it is of wood the gagemarks of the measure may be produced on a metallic strip and the strip applied to the wood.

The base 10 is provided centrally and near one end with a longitudinal slot 38, on one side of which is a measure 39, and secured on the top of the base at one end of the slot is a upon the base l0. Opposite this jaw is a similar jaw 42, which has a bottoni ilange 43, which slides on a slideway 44 in the slot 3S, and secured to the flange 43 is a depending screw 45, having a thumb-nut 46 at its lower end, so that by tightening the thumb-nut the nut will be made to bind on the base-bottom and will clamp the jaw 42 in place. The slideblock 16 is used, in connection with the measure 37, to measure the length of the cigars, and the jaws and 42, in connection with the gage-marks 39, are used to measure the thickness of the cigar.

It is Well known that the cigars must be of a certain length and thickness and that the cigars of a certain brand must correspond in these dimensions. To cut them the right length, the slide-block 16 is adjusted and locked in place in the manner described, so that its beveled end will be the requisite distance from the shoulder 13, and the cigars when of the right length will extend from the shoulder to the nearest end of the block, and it is necessary that the cigars be ot' this exact length in order to be merchantable. For measuring the thickness the jaw 42 is adjusted so that it will be just the right distance from the jaw 40, and when the cigar is of the proper thickness it will just iitbetween the two jaws.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a cigar-measure, the combination, with a base 10 and a toothed bar attached to the same, of a block adapted to slide on said bar, a lever pivoted to the block and engaging the toothed bar, and a lock having a portion that engages the lever and holds it normally locked, as shown and described.

2. In a cigar-measure, thc combination, with a ba-se having a recess in its front side, the toot-hed bar arranged in such recess, a block adapted to slide on the bar, a lever pivoted to said block and engaging the bar, them lock having a separable portion that passes normally through the lower portion of the block and lever, thereby locking, as shown and dcscribed. j

3. In a cigar-measure, the combination, with the recessed base having a measure on its front edge adjacent to the recess, of a toothed bar extending longitudinally through the recess, a slide-block adapted to move on the bar, a lever pivoted in the block and having a tooth to engage the bar-teeth, and a locking device for securing the lever, substantially as de scribed.

Josu oRUZ FERNANDEZ. Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. ROBERTS, ALEJANDRO CRUZ. 

